Daijiworld Media Network - Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, Mar 27: In a heartbreaking incident, three members of a family, including a two-year-old child, were found dead in their home in Umargam, Gujarat’s Valsad district. The case, suspected to be a suicide, has prompted a detailed police investigation.
The tragedy unfolded in Neelkanth Apartment on the outskirts of Umargam, where 28-year-old Shivam Vishwakarma, his wife Aarti Vishwakarma, and their young child were discovered lifeless. Concerned neighbors, noticing their apartment remained shut unusually long, attempted to reach out. When repeated knocks and calls went unanswered, they alerted the police.
Upon arrival, officers forced the door open to a devastating scene—Shivam was found hanging, while his wife and child lay unresponsive inside. Preliminary investigations suggest financial distress as the primary cause of the drastic step.
Originally from Jhansi, Shivam was employed in a private company in Umargam. Neighbors described him as a calm and friendly individual, but close associates revealed he had been struggling with severe financial losses due to failed Forex trading investments. Mounting debts likely became overwhelming, leading to the tragic decision.
Senior police officials, including Valsad Deputy SP Bhargav Pandya, arrived at the scene to oversee the investigation. The bodies have been sent for postmortem, while authorities examine the deceased’s financial records, mobile communications, and bank transactions to verify the exact circumstances.
Speaking on the case, Deputy SP Pandya stated, "While financial distress seems to be the main reason, we are exploring all possibilities to rule out other factors."
The incident highlights a disturbing trend of rising suicide cases in Gujarat. Data reveals that the state recorded 8,789 suicides in 2021, a 9.1% increase from the previous year. Over a three-year span (2019-2021), Gujarat witnessed 25,478 suicides, averaging 25 cases per day. Alarmingly, daily wage workers constitute a significant portion of these cases, with suicides among them rising from 2,131 in 2017 to 3,204 in 2021.
Students are also among the affected groups, with over 3,000 student suicides reported between 2017 and 2021 due to academic pressures. In 2022-23 alone, 8,538 suicides were reported in Gujarat, with Ahmedabad recording the highest number.
This tragic case underscores the growing mental health crisis linked to financial instability, urging stronger support systems to prevent such losses.